Bale-band buckle.



W. C. RAGSDALE.

BALE BAND BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 1. 1915.

1 209,496. Patented Dec. 19,1916.

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WILLIAM C. RAGSDALE, OF WEATHERFORD, TEXAS.

BALE-BAND BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Application filed December 7, 1915. Serial No. 65,488.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. RAGSDALE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Weatherford, in the county of Parker and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bale-Band Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to buckles and more particularly to bale band buckles made from a single piece of bar material such as wire for securely fastening the ends of a bale band and has for an objectto provide a buckle which can be applied with great rapidity, can be cheaply and easily manufactured, and will give the greatest strength possible with the amount of material used.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which h Fi re 1 is a ers ective view s owin my deviri e to be ap plieg to a bale, Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device as applied,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a face view of the buckle, Fig. 5 is a rear view of the same, Fig. 6 is a vertical edge view of the buckle, and Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views of various modified forms.

In carrying out my invention the buckle is made of a single piece of steel wire made in general loop form and consisting of one rigid cross bar 10, side bars 11 which converge downwardly as at 12 and are then bent to extend horizontally in opposite directions across the width of the loop, one member 13 lying above the other and the lower cross bar 13 being bent or ofiset so that the bottom cross bars will be disposed in approximately parallel planes. These members 13 are then bent upwardly as at 14 such a distance as may be found best suited for the purpose, then extend inwardly as at 15 toward each other horizontally and the ends then bent forwardly and downwardly at an angle to form the terminal lugs or spurs 16. The members 14 will lie closely against the. side bars 11.

In Fig. 9 the side bars 21 do not converge downwardly but are bent abruptly at a right angle as at 22 and then extend horizontally across each other in intersecting vertical planes forming laterally movable bottom or lower cross bars 23 and then bent at their outer ends forming short side bars 24, then bent inwardly toward each other and toward the center of the loop and then extending forwardly at an angle leaving a space between the crossed lower bars and the lower ends of the terminal lugs or spurs 25 to permit passage of one end of the bale band.

In Fig. 7 is illustrated another form of buckle comprising a rigid cross bar 30, side bars 31 bent inwardly toward each other forming lower side bars 32 and looped or twisted together at their meeting points 33, then bent upwardly again lying alongside the inwardly bent portion 32, then inwardly at 35 toward each other and toward the center of the loop and then forwardly to form the terminal lugs or spurs 36. As shown in this figure in dotted lines the portion of the band 2 Will pass between the downwardly converging side bars and the terminal lugs or spurs 36, the other end of the band being fastened as before to the said bar 30.

In Fig. 8 another form of buckle is illustrated wherein the cross bar 40 is rigid and has the depending side bars 41 at its ends, the side bars being bent at 42 to form inwardly projecting lower cross bars 43, which are looped or twisted together at about the horizontal center of the buckle and then bent outwardly to the side bars 41, then upwardly alongside of said side bars to form the members 44, then inwardly toward each other and toward the center of the loop, and then forwardly and downwardly at an angle to form the lugs or spurs 46.

In Fig. 10 the loop is substantially the same form as that shown in Fig. 1 with the exception that the lower cross bars 50 intersect at an angle and there is no converging of the side bars.

In Fig. 11 the loop of the buckle comprises rigid cross bars 60, side bars 61 which are turned inwardly at their lower ends and extend across each other at substantially a right angle to the side bars, the ends then bent upwardly and inwardly to correspond to the converging portions of the side bars in Fig. 4, and the terminals bent forwardly and downwardly to form the locking lugs or spurs 64.'

In applying my improved buckle, the buckle is held as shown in Fig. 1, one end of the bale band being permanently attached to the cross bar 10 before the band is inserted in the press and around the bale. With the parts in this position the opposite end ofthe band is passed through the buckle between the lower cross bars 13 and the lowerends of the lugs or spurs 16. The upper portion of the cross bar 10 is then swung downwardly to the left whereupon the band will be bent at two points one by the cross bars 13 and the other by the lugs or spurs 16 as shown in Fig. 2. The end 2 of the band then lies be neath the buckle and the end 1 of the band. Upon relieving pressure from the bale the 'natural resiliency or expansibility of the same will take place and force the end 2 of the band up tightly against the lower face of the buckle and part 1 of the band, where it will be securely held by the bent portions caused by the cross bars 13 and the lugs or spurs 16.

The purpose of converging the side bars '12 is to provide a bearing for the edges of videa simple and eflicient bale band buckle which can be cheaply made from a single length of material which will be positive in its action and does away with the dreaded so-called spiders on bales of cotton and also the expense of repressing bales of cotton now so common from buckles breaking or failing to hold the bands securely.

I claim l. A bale band buckle consisting of a loop constructed of a length of wire and provided with side bars and a rigid cross bar at one end for permanent attachment to one end of .a bale band, a second cross bar at the opposite end, arms projecting inwardly from the sidebars toward the center of the loop, said arms having their ends bent downwardly toward the second cross bar and beyond the plane of the loop, said ends adapted to gouge into and bend the band when the loop is swung forwardly and the bale permitted to expand.

9. A bale band buckle consisting of a loop having a rigid cross bar at one end for permanent attachment to one end of a bale band, side bars projecting from said cross bar, the free ends of said side bars bent inwardly toward each other to form a laterally V gouge into and bend the other end of the bale band when the loop is swung forwardly and the bale permitted to expand.

3. A bale band buckle comprising a loop made of a length of wire and consisting of a rigid cross bar at one end for permanent attachment to one end of a bale band, side bars at each end of said cross bar, said side bars bent in opposite directions and across each other to form the opposite end bar, then 7 bent back alongside the side bars andinwardly toward the center of the loop and terminating in spurs projecting obliquelyin" a direction away from the rigid cross bar and outside the plane of the loop.

4t. A bale band buckle comprising a loop like member made from a singlelength of bar material and consisting of a rigid cross bar at one end for connectionwithoneend of a bale band, side bars extending from the 6 ends of said cross bar, the side bars bent laterally in opposite directions toward and alongside each other-to form an expansible 1 cross bar, each side member bent backito lie alongside a side bar, then toward the center 9 of the loop and the terminals disposed toward the expansible cross bar at an angle to the'plane of the loop'to form locking spurs T or lugs adapted to gouge into theopposite end of the aforesaid bale band. p 9

5. A bale band buckle comprising a .loop shaped frame made from a length ofwire and consisting ofa rigid cross bar for con nection with one end of a bale band and side bars extending from the ends thereof,

the side bars having inwardly bent portions lying adjacent and crossing each other to form a second cross bar, and provided at their free ends with a locking spur or lug lying between theside bars'and projecting 1 then bent to lie alongside the respective side ba s and then toward thecenter of the loop and then angularly toward the second cross bar and outside the plane of the loop.

7. A bale band buckle comprising a loop like member made from a single length of bar material and consisting of a rigid cross bar at one end for connection with one end of a bale band, side bars extending. from the ends of said cross bar, the sidebars bent laterally in opposite directions toward and alongside each other to form an expansible cross bar, one member of which is offset from the other and each side member bent alongside a side member then toward 139 the center of the loop and the terminals disposed toward the expansible cross bar at an angle to the plane of the loop to form locking spurs or lugs adapted to gouge into the 5 opposite end of the aforesaid bale band.

8. A bale band buckle consisting of a loop having a cross bar at one end for permanent attachment to one end of a bale band, side bars projecting from said cross bar, the free ends of the said side bars bent inwardly and crossing each other to form laterally movable cross bars opposite the first mentioned cross bar, the free ends of said side bars then bent inwardly toward the center 100p and then toward the laterally movable cross bars.

WILLIAM C. RAGSDALE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

